Chinese Grand Prix 2011 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Lewis Hamilton delivered a statement victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, ending Sebastian Vettel's perfect start to the season and proving that Red Bull's dominance could be challenged. The British driver produced a brilliant performance to beat Vettel and Mark Webber at the Shanghai International Circuit, capitalizing on superior tire management and aggressive racecraft to claim his first win of 2011 and breathe life into the championship battle.

Despite Vettel starting from pole position with a lap of 1:33.706, Hamilton seized the initiative with an aggressive opening stint and superior management of the Pirelli tires. The McLaren MP4-26 showed improved race pace compared to the opening rounds, and Hamilton extracted every ounce of performance from the package. The race became a fascinating strategic battle, with the high tire degradation forcing multiple pit stops and creating opportunities for overtaking. Hamilton timed his stops perfectly and demonstrated brilliant racecraft to work his way past Vettel, who struggled more with tire wear than in previous races. The DRS zones on Shanghai's long back straight proved crucial, allowing Hamilton to mount attacks that might have been impossible in previous seasons.

Vettel salvaged second place ahead of teammate Webber, who completed an all-Red Bull front row lockout in qualifying but couldn't match Hamilton's race pace. The Red Bull duo's podium finish still delivered crucial constructor points, but the team's aura of invincibility had been dented. Webber set the fastest lap but remained firmly in Vettel's shadow as the number two driver. Ferrari showed signs of improvement with Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa finishing fourth and fifth respectively, suggesting their development was finally bearing fruit. Hamilton's victory - his first since Belgium 2010 - proved that the championship fight wasn't over and that McLaren had the pace to challenge Red Bull on certain circuits. The result injected much-needed unpredictability into what had threatened to become a processional season, though few suspected that Vettel would still go on to utterly dominate the championship.